Image Credit: SUBMITTED/UBCO Athletics
November 03, 2018 - 10:00 AM
KELOWNA - Heat basketball fans watching last night's game against Brandon were in for a nail-biting start, but an extreme turnaround in the third quarter.
A 17-point second-half comeback would give the men's basketball team a 85 to 79 victory against the Brandon Bobcats on Friday, Nov. 2. This comeback moves the Heat to 3-0 to start the season, which marks the first time in their Canada West history that they have opened with three straight wins, a media release says.
Trailing 66-49 with 2:18 to go in the third quarter, the home team would light the building on fire in the final minutes, scoring 31 fourth-quarter points to complete the comeback.
Philip Okanlawon would hit the game-tying triple with 1:36 to go after a scramble played under the backboard. Then one possession later sophomore, Jacob Stokker, would hit a three-pointer to give the Heat their first lead of the game at 80-77.
Rookie, Hafith Moallin, would play the role as closer, knocking down a pair of free-throws with nine seconds left to put the game out of reach.
Aldrich Berrios would have 19 second-half points and 25 in the game to lead the way for UBCO while Triston Matthews finished with a double-double thanks to 22 points and a game-high 10 boards.
For the visiting Bobcats it was Tyvon Cooper providing the offense as he finished with 20 points on the night. Pookie Saunders, Jaleel Webb and Kobyn Jopp also finished in double-figures for Brandon.
Head coach, Ken Olynk, commented on his teams comeback performance, noting that toughness was the key "We just told the guys you got to keep persevering, move the basketball on offence and get stops on defence and we did a great job of that in the fourth quarter."
The Heat and Bobcats will face-off once again tonight in Kelowna with tip-off slated for 7 p.m.
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